"You are next Ryo of the Wildfire." Talpa bellowed as he aimed at Ryo.  White Blaze jumped and knocked Ryo out of the way narrowly missing the beam himself. Kero nudged him trying to get him to move. 'She's gone,' he thought miserably to himself. 'Just like the others. What am I supposed to do now? I can't defeat Talpa all by myself. I need the others and her.  This is all my fault.' Ryo was too preoccupied about losing everyone that all he could do was leap out of the way of Talpa's attacks.  Not thinking about anything else he soon got himself cornered.  He had no choice he would have to fight.

'But, what can I do?' he thought wildly to himself. 'He's a gigantic man who has absorbed all of my friends and has their abilities. I am just one Ronin, what can I do? If I attack him, I'll hurt them as well.'

Ryo tried valiantly to ward off Talpa's blows, but he was quickly running out of energy.  He would only have one chance to use his flare up technique to stop Talpa, and if he missed it was all over. 

'I need to do it' He thought. 'But I… I can't'

Suddenly Talpa let out an angry roar as Ryo noticed he wasn't moving.  'He stopped, but how?'

"Ryo." A voice inside his head said.

"Rowen?" Ryo asked shocked. "What's going on? What's happening?"

"Hurry and administer the final blow to Talpa." Rowen's voice said.

"No." Ryo shouted, "I'll hurt you guys also."

"Ryo, you have to." Kento's voice said. "Do it."

"We can't hold him much longer." Sage's voice broke in. "This is your only chance."

"We are counting on you." Cye said. "It's now or never."

"I won't risk hurting you all also." Ryo argued with them.

"Ryo," a soft feminine voice broke into his thoughts.

"Sakura." He whispered.

"Please, stop my father, do it for me. Don't worry about us. Just do it. I love you." Sakura said. Then all the Ronins added their voice to hers.

"Ryo, now!"

Ryo steeled himself and prepared to attack, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't hurt them, he couldn't hurt her. They meant so much to him.  A tear trickled down his cheek 'I'm sorry you guys,' he thought. 'But I just can't risk it.' Talpa broke free of the hold the others had on him and rounded on the lone warrior.

"All your little friends did was buy you a little more time." Talpa chuckled cruelly. "Now you will join them."

"NO!" Ryo shouted as the kanji on his forehead glowed. "Virtue," he whispered.  His armor glowed as Talpa started to glow with different colors.  The colors of the other Ronins armor.  One by one the colors glowed on Talpa and then shot toward Ryo. Each Ronin adding their power to his.

" Wisdom"  Sage whispered.

" Justice" Kento said.

" Trust" Cye called.

"Life" Rowen added.

"Love" Sakura yelled as her armor and spirit joined the others and the one she loved.  Armors combined in a flash of blinding light and an intense fire surrounded Ryo.  Ryo stretched out his hands to accept the legendary Armor of the Inferno when he felt a hand slid into his. Looking next to him he saw Sakura in a white off the shoulders dress holding his hand, Kero at her side holding her staff in his mouth. Hearing a growl he turned and saw the black version of White Blaze next to him carrying the Twin Soul Swords of Fervor.  Looking back at Sakura she nodded to him.

"Let's do this, Wildfire." She said to him.

Hearing her nickname for him, he gathered his courage as he grabbed the swords. He could hear Sakura next to him chanting some magic words that were strengthening the power of the swords. With a mighty attack he hit Talpa straight on. Talpa roared his outrage as he was sent back to the spirit world, never to return.